Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-21

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter

• say where you think you left the papers
• explain why they are so important
• tell the manager what you want him/her to do

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Max White and I organized a meeting in one of the conference rooms of your hotel last Thursday between 8AM to 12PM. After the meeting, I was in a rush and by mistake I left a file that contains important documents at your hotel. I might have left it near the podium.

I was giving presentation while I was standing near the podium and I remember well I had the file with me during that time. I only realized when I came home that I have left it at your hotel. Let me explain why these documents are so important for me. It contains insurance papers of my client which I am supposed to submit to my office next week.

Would you kindly courier the file to my office? I can pay the courier charges incurred to you through google pay. Also, please let me know if you cannot courier it, I can send someone from my office to pick it up from you from your hotel.

Thank you for kind consideration to my urgent request!

Yours faithfully,

Max White

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly identified the location of the lost items (near the podium), explained their significance (insurance papers for a client), and provided clear instructions for the manager regarding retrieval. The tone is appropriate for a formal business letter, and the purpose is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the scenario provided. You have met all the requirements of the task effectively, ensuring the reader understands exactly what is needed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the introduction of the situation to the explanation of importance and finally the call to action. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'After the meeting', 'Also', and 'Therefore' (implied) to link sentences. While the flow is generally smooth, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be slightly more sophisticated to improve the overall cohesion. However, the paragraphing is appropriate and the message is easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'incurred to you' and 'urgent request' are appropriate for a formal context. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in collocation and word choice, such as 'I was giving presentation' (missing an article) and 'pick it up from you from your hotel' (slightly repetitive). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise business-related terminology. The vocabulary used is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly without any ambiguity, which is the primary goal of this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I remember well I had the file' (missing 'that') and 'It contains insurance papers' (should be 'They contain' to agree with 'papers'). Additionally, 'I was giving presentation' requires an article ('a'). Despite these errors, your meaning is never obscured, and the majority of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. The use of modal verbs like 'would' and 'can' is accurate and appropriate for making polite requests in a formal letter.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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